Kitchen

You may have heard me recommend this book on What Should I Read Next Episode 395 ("A little touch of magic never hurts"). Mikage is raised by her grandmother after her parents pass away. She’s left unmoored after her grandmother dies and subsequently turns to the kitchen, as well as her friend Yoichi and her mother, who takes her in. A lovely exploration of grief, found family, and the ties that bind us. Though Banana Yoshimoto is renowned in Japan, this is her first book to be published in English, translated from the Japanese by Megan Backus.